Primary or Secondary Source?

Research FAQs

How do I know if an article is a primary research study (empirical article)?

Primary research studies:

have the following parts Abstract, Literature Review, Introduction, Methodology, Results, Discussion and Conclusion

will show charts, graphs, and/or tables in the search results list in some databases

often the word "study" is included in the article title (but NOT ALWAYS)

What is the difference between academic, scholarly, and peer reviewed journals?

Basically, these terms are synonymous, meaning they all mean the same thing.

Academic, scholarly and peer reviewed journals all have the following characteristics:

written by and for experts or professionals(nurses, doctors, professors, teachers, radiology technicians, etc.) in a particular career field

often have the word "Journal" in their title

often contain charts, graphs, and statistics *NOTE: This usually indicates the article is a primary/empirical research study.

often have a table of contents on the front cover

look "boring" in comparison to a popular magazine cover

Articles from academic, scholarly, or peer reviewed journals all::

have a more complex writing style

are usually longer than 8 pages

have citations that include a volume and issue number

exist to inform other experts and researchers what is happening in their particular field of study

can be (but are not ALWAYS) primary research studies which will contain the following parts: Abstract, Literature Review, Introduction, Methodology, Results, Discussion and Conclusion

When a library database, how do I know if an article is "peer reviewed"?

In our databases, this is easy. When you are searching for articles, the database provides an option ("limiter") to limit your search results to peer reviewed articles only. Sometimes, the record for the article will also tell you if an article is peer reviewed. Generally speaking, if the record states that the article is published in an academic journal, then the article is peer reviewed. If the word "journal" is part of the publication title (e.g. Journal of Pediatric Nursing), then all articles contained in that journal are likely peer reviewed.